local media insider
Review

Local Proud could be an opportunity for the shop local movement

Alisa Cromer
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LocalProud's first partner is WKBW television in Buffalo, New York. Your Local Look-up is a related program, search results link back to the coupon site.
The sales staff sold and 56 local coupons in three weeks.
The first interface promotes three top channels sales reps are targeting.
Photo

Local Proud, a couponless coupon site developed by Rev Up offers a neat local solution for media sites that want to retain more of a local brand with their coupon strategy.

The first test market is Buffalo, New York where WKBW television launched a Local Proud program in March, 2010. Jeff Palmer, CEO of Rev Up which developed the program, says he is now looking for media partners in hometown, Dallas Texas, followed by other markets.

Local Proud borrows key themes from green movement, by using "couponless coupons" on mobile phones and a discount card. It also promotes itself as part of the "Shop Local" movement; although there are no restrictions on advertisers who can buy coupons, Palmer says "only local advertisers are targeted" and it's hard to imagine a national brand calling in.

RevUp started out in business by offering television stations interactive programs that helped increase local advertising sales: Beyond the TV, video clips of local television advertisers feature online; and MyLocalLookup, a video-directory of advertisers. The company has about 60 current television partners, and 400,000 visitors a month between the two programs.

The first partner for Local Proud, WKBW television in Buffalo, New York has already sold 56 coupons on the site. The target monthly price is $150 per advertiser, although the first advertisers were discounted.

WKBW is so supportive of the Local Proud concept, they are launching a weekly television program of the same name later this year.

Rev Up is assisting the show by producing all the show's opening and closing video segments and bumpers. Originally a production company, Rev Up supports media partners by producing custom promotional materials, including videos, graphics, TV spots and even custom music.


Jeff Palmer, CEO,of Rev Up says that once Dallas is launched he will be looking for media partners in other cities, offering exclusives by media type. For media sites who want to create a true "shop local" site, he is also willing to consider creating customized brands.


The sites do look more "local" than larger coupon sites in part because there are no national ads sharing the key real estate and because the site has a contemporary look and feel. This could be a good solution for creating an “indie” coupon brand, especially for alternative weeklies, whose customers like discounts but don’t want to even see Olive Garden or Lowe's and feel like they are clipping Grandma’s coupons.


Palmer says one of the challenges to create a true local marketplace is gaining critical mass right away. Their strategy is to start out by giving ten free ads to businesses in key categories, then charging a minimal $25 a month before moving to the full rate.

Alisa Cromer

The author, Alisa Cromer is publisher of a variety of online media, including LocalMediaInsider and  MediaExecsTech,  developed while on a fellowship with the Reynolds Journalism Institute and which has evolved into a leading marketing company for media technology start-ups. In 2017 she founded Worldstir.com, an online magazine,  to showcases perspectives from around the  world on new topic each month, translated from and to the top five languages in the world.


local proud, jeff palmer, coupon, review, revup, wkbw, mylocallookup,